MPP Jim McDonell
Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry
The Ontario government is providing more than $1.2 billion to help Ontario’s public hospitals recover from financial pressures created and worsened by COVID-19. This investment will ensure hospitals can continue to provide the high-quality patient care Ontarians need and deserve.
The funding was announced by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board.
“Hospitals have been at the centre of the pandemic from day one providing excellent care for our sick and vulnerable, and responding to the various outbreaks without hesitation,” said Premier Ford. “Clearly, this additional care comes at a cost, so as a government we must step up and support them. We need to ensure that our hospitals remain viable and are there for people long after COVID-19 has been beaten.”
To ensure Ontario’s hospitals remain on stable financial footing at a critical time, $696.6 million in funding will be allocated to help cover historic working funds deficits for qualifying public hospitals, with a focus on small, medium as well as specialty and rehabilitation hospitals that carry a large fiscal strain due to their unique situations and historical funding challenges.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all hospitals have felt financial challenges not only through direct costs, but also through the loss of other forms of revenue such as co-payments for private rooms and the reduction of retail services, all of which contribute to patient care and support clinical services. In order to help address these fiscal challenges the province is setting aside $572.3 million to reimburse qualifying portions of these losses.
The pandemic has put pressure on the health care sector and amplified pre-existing problems.
Ontario currently spends more on Ontario’s public hospitals than it receives in federal funding.
The Ontario government will continue to work in collaboration with the federal government, and with other provinces and territories to ensure the Canada Health Transfer is increased and Ontarians get the quality health care they deserve.
“Our priority since the start of the pandemic has been clear – protecting people’s health. That means ensuring hospitals and the health care system have the capacity they need to care for people,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board.
“We need to support our hard-working health and medical professionals as they continue to provide high-quality care to all Ontarians, ensuring that we maintain our quality of life,” said Jim McDonell, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. “Healthy people are essential for a healthy economy.”
